Censor board cuts kissing scenes in `Spectre`, Twitter trolls

Too much of censor board work in reducing the Daniel Craig`s kissing scenes in the upcoming 007 adventure `Spectre` invited criticisms

Mumbai: James Bond's on-screen exploits appear to be too much for the censor board which has decided to shorten Daniel Craig's kissing scenes in the upcoming 007 adventure "Spectre", sparking sharp reactions on social media.

The movie, which has already released globally and is arriving in Indian theatres tomorrow, received four cuts from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), whose chief Pahlaj Nihlani has received flak in the past for chopping off scenes in movies that he does not deem fit for the audience.

The kissing scenes between Craig, Monica Bellucci and Lea Seydoux were reduced and a few words were dropped from the movie.

"The film was given a U/A certificate after some cuts. One of the cuts was related to a kissing scene," a senior official said.

Nihlani was soon trolled by the social media users as #SanskariJamesBond started trending on Twitter.

Board member Ashoke Pandit, who has had differences with Nihlani, said the CBFC chief has always "functioned on his own accord".

"#Spectre is an internationally applauded film, bt again #PahalajNihalani messes it up by shading it with his own thought process. #JamesBond," Pandit tweeted.

Actor Emraan Hashmi, who has earned the tag of a serial-kisser in Bollywood, found the ban amusing.

"So this guy James Bond calls up nervously ranting about something. Couldn't understand a word of what he was saying :))," Hashmi tweeted.

"James Bond's women must be feeling so safe now that our Censor Board is there to protect their izzat & aabroo from that creep," director Shirish Kuder tweeted.

The Twitteratti could not help make fun of Bond's run in with the Indian censor board.

"Censor board cuts down the duration of kisses in Spectre. This is what happens when you release your film after Sooraj Barjatya," a user wrote while referring to Barjatya's clean family drama 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo'.

"Censor board will only pass the James Bond movie uncut, if it is directed by Sooraj Barjatya," another Twitter user wrote.

"Thanks to the censor board, Bond shall call M as 'Babuji' and Moneypenny as 'behen'," a tweet read.